Any transplanted UK mechanical pipe fitters/engineers out there . . .

[Shari 6]

My husband has been a mechanical engineer for over 20 years in the UK though his schooling was through an apprenticeship program and not a BS program that we have here in the US. He has run into problems in applying for mechanical engineering jobs because he does not have a BS. But he also had a job as a mechanical pipe fitter which is different from pipe fitters in the US. A UK pipe fitter is a mechanical engineer that does pipe fitting, but a pipe fitter here is just a $10-14 hour labor job with not nearly the training and abilities. So, does anyone know what other terminology he can use to clarify what a mechanical pipe fitter is? He doesn't want potential employers to think he worked in a position that was less than it actually was.

Any other UK engineers out there? Any suggestions? Thanks all!

[cmartyn 0]

So, what exactly does he do? I mean.. works on pipes could be anything. I am asuming Plumbing and Heating pipes. In the USA that is a Plumber plain and simple. I dont know any plumbers who charge less than 150.00 an hour. The guy who fixes my pipes was a naval submarine engineer prior to becoming a plumber. He shows up in a company truck on weekdays, on the weekends he shows up in his Audi A6 2.8t. The name given to people who design heating sytems for commercial buildings in the US is Engineer. A PEng needs to sing off on these designs. Then you need to have a state licence to install them. Check with your state licencing beureau.

Edit, you know, If I had life to live over, I would not have taken my Mothers advice... I really would rather be flat on my back in somebodys crawlspace soldering their toilet supply line in jeans for 150.00/hr than sit in an office in a shirt and tie worrying about being outsourced making 60.00 / hr.

Edited February 9, 2006 by cmartyn

[Shari 6]

No, he is not a plumber. His job titles are: (1) Subsea Mechanical Engineer (in which he built, installed, and maintained subsea connectors for offshore well heads for global markets,etc.); and (2) Senior Weapons Commissioning Engineer/Supervisor (for Vickers for 21 years).

Now any suggestions for jobs/companies, etc. He has applied for everything including relocation, though we prefer to stay in Birmingham because of my kids for a few more years. Thanks!

[cmartyn 0]

Well, A pipefitter, is not an engineer.. A plumber may be a Sr Advanced Hydronic Design specialist. He might be a Sub Terra Oceanic Water purification specialist... He could be anything that works on pipes. He could be an Aviation control system designer whatever. But unless he has a PEng designation the state licences all say plumber. Pipefitter is a general term which was once given to advanced plumbers.. there are so many areas of specialty and so many preconceived and wrong notions about what a pipefitter / plumber is that it is easy to get confused. I think he should look at what his qualifications are and look for work in that field. He must remember the structure though. The guys in the white hats are degreed professional architects and engineers.. everybody else has a yellow hat and a licence that either says plumber, carpenter, steamfitter, welder, etc... don't make the mistake of prejudicing the terms. I mean a plumber could be supervising the installation of hundreds of miles of high pressure steam lines in a Nuclear power plant. He is still a plumber. You wont see the job advertised as such though.

Edited February 9, 2006 by cmartyn

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Here are a couple sites I use. One is a mix of conventional and nuclear. The other is purely nuclear.

http://www.roadtechs.com/

http://nukeworker.com/

Both are legit websites.

[Shari 6]

Thanks rhc99.

[Shari 6]

BIG OOOOPS! I put down "pipe fitter" and I was wrong anyhow. I just meant mechanical engineering fitter. So CMArtyn, I see what you meant about pipe fitter and plumbers, but my wording was incorrect. I was going by memory when I typed it, but Keith just told me the difference. But still trying to find comparable work here, engineering - not plumbing.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

BIG OOOOPS! I put down "pipe fitter" and I was wrong anyhow. I just meant mechanical engineering fitter. So CMArtyn, I see what you meant about pipe fitter and plumbers, but my wording was incorrect. I was going by memory when I typed it, but Keith just told me the difference. But still trying to find comparable work here, engineering - not plumbing.

That might be more along the lines of Millwright. They are higher up than a pipefitter. google it

[Cassie 8]

Funny enough, I was just looking on craigslist for Tulsa, and there was a job listed for Piping Engineer, and Piping Materials Engineer. The job descriptions sound like what what you have been talking about, perhaps the terminology you are looking for.

[Shari 6]

Thanks again rch99. And Cassie, I never heard of craiglist before. I will check when I get off here. Is it "craiglist.com"? Is it similar to Career Builder and all those job sites? Thanks.

[ceriserose 1]

http://www.craigslist.com/

On the right you'll see it set up by city. In the city categories are job listings.

Some of the listings I've found via Craig's I haven't seen anywhere else.

Good luck!

(And it's not a career site, per se. It has personals, job listings, want ads, info on things to do and events, etc. Kind of like a community paper, but way bigger.)

Edited February 9, 2006 by ceriserose

[cmartyn 0]

I asked a few of my hydronics folks.. one suggested that he apply for a shipyard position with either General Dynamics or Todd.

Edited February 9, 2006 by cmartyn